Abraham m



(No Model.)

A. M. SOUTHARD.

APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING BUILDINGS.

Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

N. PETERs. Phclo-ljlhognpher, Waahingion. D C. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM M. SOUTHARD, OF DENVEB, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE. SOUTHARDPORTABLE GAS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BPECIFICAIION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,351, dated January4, 1887.

Application filed March 30, 1586. Serial No. 197,141. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM M. SOUTHARD, of Denver, Arapahoe county, inthe State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Lighting Buildings, of which the followingis a specification.

I use stationary lamps burning Excelsior oil, alight product of thedistillation of petroleum.

My apparatus conduces to safety and convenience. I provide a sufficienttank within the top of the building, protected, as far as practicable,from the heat of the sun, to which I supply Excelsior oil at intervals,as required. with the several lamps, and the oil is let down to each byavalve,which may at will be tightly closed or be controlled automaticallyso as to let the oil down in the exact quantities required. A cook orother valve closed at will furnishes additional means for shutting offthe oil. This latter means of excluding the fluid is particularlyimportantwhen it is desired to examine or repair a lamp.

The following is a description of What I con sider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings forma part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section through a portion of a building having myinvention. Fig. 2 is on a larger scale. It is a vertical section througha portion of one of the lamps.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in both thefigures where they occur.

A is the building; B, the tank; 0, the pipes, properly branched andconnected for leading the fluid to the several lamps under the pressuredue to the difference of level between each lamp, respectively, and thereservoir.

D is a tight-fitting stop-cock, and E is the body of the lamp.

F F are curved pipes, having smooth interiors, partly choked with awicking tipped by burners G G, which latter are considerably removedfrom and at a little height above the reservoir. There may be globes,shades, or other devices for shielding the flame and modifying theeffect of the light.

This tank is connected by pipes A vertical tube, e, with both ends open,is fitted in the axial line of the body, its lower end being tightlysoldered or otherwise joined to the bottom. Its upper end opens into theinterior of the body near the top. H is an annular float, filling nearlythe whole space between this tube and the interior of the body E. Atube, H, larger than tube 0, extends upward from the inner edge of thisfloat. H is a hollow cone soldered or otherwise fixed on the top of H.The apex of this cone matches in a corresponding conical recess orvalve-seat at the junction of O with E. v t

A thumb-screw, K, tappedthrough the bottom, extends up and presses, oris capable of pressing, against the interior of the cone. When thisscrew is turned in one direction, it is forced up, and lifting the coneH presses it tightly against its conical seat. This forbids the descentof oil so long as this condition obtains. The parts should be thusadjusted when they are to be for a long time disused.

When it is desired to operate one or more of the lamps, thecorresponding screws, K, are turned in the direction to unscrew or sinkthe screws. This sets the cone H, and consequently the tube H and floatH, at liberty to rise and sink. If the surface of the oil in the body Eis below the proper level, the float H and its connections will sink.This allows oil to descend from G into E. This raises the float H andcloses thevalve H This constitutes an automatic regulation, the float Hrising and closing or partially closing the valve.

whenever the level of the oil in the body E gets too high, and sinkingand opening the valve and allowing more to descend whenever the surfaceof the oil in the body gets too low.

It may be understood that the gradual flow of the oil from the reservoirB to the burner is the same as is set forth in the patent to me datedDecember 29, 1885, N 0. 333,354; or I can use other devices and formsfor utilizing the oil in the body. Devices for burning the oil in thevicinity of the reservoir B, but sufficiently removed therefrom to allowE and its contents to be kept cold, constitute an important part of myinvention; but their forms may IOO izing the oil kept at proper levelsin the several lamp-bodies E E.

I attach importance to the fact that the automatic regulation due to thefree rising and sinking of the float H and its connections will allowthe oil to come down in just the proper quantities to supply the lampswhen they are at liberty to move; and I also attach importance to theprovision by the screw K for holding the valve and its connectionstightly up into its seat, so as to exclude the oil entirely whendesired. I also attach importance to the seperate cock D, operated atwill. Closing this allows me to safely unscrew the branches or arms F,or the entire lamp E, at will. Beeswax or analogous material insolublein Excelsior oil should, after each disconnection, be

applied to the screw-threads, to insure a tight joint when the screw isagain introduced.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions within widelimits without departing from the principle or sacrificing theadvantages of the invention. I can use one alone of the bodies E insteadof a series, as shown. I can have only one burner connected to each bodyinstead of a number, as shown. The form of the body and of the burnerand the relative sizes and lengths of the tubes may be Varied withinwide limits.

the tube H, fitting over the tube eand having the valve H", of ascrew-rod, K, arranged to operate the said valve independent of thefloat action, as set forth.

2. The combination, with; the reservoir E, having inlet and outlets, asdescribed, and having central vertical tube, 0, of the float H, hav

ing tube H and valve H and the screw K,

operating through the tube e, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this4th day of March, 1886, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. A

ABRAHAM M. SOUTHARD.

Witnesses:

MANIERRE ELLIsoN,

EDw. \VM. FRANCIS.

